No guiding holidays ever again
I can't afford it that way and will be every 2 years when I go now times are hard aint lining the pockets of the rich

Gareth gareth you was a smart chap and well done for your smart post
The trails were more like uk trail centre trails Red 10 what a load of shite, ahh dear I loved la varda yes I wanted more of that stuff ! Which you lot hated so there we go eh ,I had only just recovered from a serious illness and just come out of hospital where I had lost 3 stone that is why I had to have a day off

The TA setup is different to what I've expereince before, seems more of a divide between staff / punters / different groups at times. However our guide was a world cup level DHer who made us look like total beginners and she was a GIRL but a great guide who fetched me things for my bike when I broke them and paid for them out of her own pocket. The mechanics really helped me out aswell.
We rode stuff steeper than anything Ive ridden in Austia or Switzerland, trails were superb. We may have once or twice accidently ventured onto a footpath at times, by accident.

Pinhead, no hard feelings, i just felt some of those points werent the whole truth
i agree guided holidays don't seem to be the right choice for you as you have a particular trail style which you love and that's fair.
i think trails like red 10 are suited to certain riders but it would take a bloody good rider to really make the most out of a trail like that, however i agree it doesn't take much skill just to get down it.
IMO TA are great you just gotta realise what your paying for isnt an entirely bespoke holiday now matter how hard they try to meet the needs of all the riders

It always amuses me when people start moaning on about not having money to do stuff unlike all those "rich" people! What, "rich" people like me who have worked our asses off for the last 25 years, earning a decent living, spending it wisely, and now being able to reap the rewards? Yup, absolute ***ts aren't we!

perhaps, less time spent moaning, and more time doing something productive might help??

Well, the singletrack under the lift is out of bounds for bikes (which is a shame, because it used to be lovely. Petit Lavarda also). If the guide said not to ride it, there would be a damn good reason for it. I've been with TA 4 times now, and it was in teh second year that the whole bike access thing in Peisey/Vallandry blew up. TA have been trying to stay on the right side of the Mairie of the area. You riding where you've been told not to won't help the matter.

There is a wee supermarket in Peisey. But it's not all that, and like all supermarkets in the middle of f'all nowhere. It's not cheap. The patisserie just up the hill though is fab... You couldn't afford $1 for a beer from the honesty bar? You don't *have* to drink alcohol y'know...?

Red 10 - yup, shite, agreed. However I was with a group last year who thought it was the best thing they'd ridden all week. "nice and flowy. None of this technical shit" was the quote... Horses fer courses and all that... Did you do Double Header, Moist Nun, White 8, Secret Garden, Joe's Repose, Barry's Bollock Breaker, Poundstretcher. The Lakes Trail etc? None of them count as "trail centre" trails...

To be fair, one of the things that prevents me going on a group / guided holiday is that I might end up in a too advanced or too beginnerish group. I wouldn't want to hold people up.

I went on a guided hol which included someone with little experience/confidence on some pretty tech trails. We were all happy to wait, I didn't hear a complaint from anyone all week.
I'd be properly pissed if I ended up in a group of 14 though.

trail_rat - Member
so you only found the crap trails listed in the guide maps then pussywillow- shame that
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

Errr...no, I was foolish enough a few year back to be led by a load of arrogant middle class guides! And let me tell you there was a bit of slagging off from one young guide who I heard saying to another guide that he'd took some young pro's out and they couldn't keep up with him!

To be fair the trails weren't my cup of tea but I prefer more technical myself..

Oh yeah and we were told that there were no shops about too....we found a supermarket down at the bottom selling a crate of of 24 bottles for 7 euros while they were selling them for a euro each! Yeah they gotta make a profit, but come on!! Also if u do like to go out to a few bars on a night then you'll struggle in les arcs...well that's my opinion anyway, I seriously wouldn't pay money for a guide! My advise would be to get yourself to chamonix, there's plenty good local riders about that were more than happy to show us some good trails, great night life too!

FWIW, if you want to ride in Les Arcs/Tarantaise area, and you want to definitely not be in a group of 14, then you could go to White Room- 8 people at most, on the grounds that they can't fit any more in the bus or the chalet We had 2 guides and often a driver to boot.

That said friends who've gone with Trailaddiction (and Bikevillage) have been just as happy as I was with WR.

prick. 3 ops in one year,lost my strength, like i say La Varda was the best on the hol thats my bag,the rest weren't what i wanted not techy enough,.

It always amuses me when people start moaning on about not having money to do stuff unlike all those "rich" people! What, "rich" people like me who have worked our asses off for the last 25 years, earning a decent living, spending it wisely, and now being able to reap the rewards? Yup, absolute ***ts aren't we!
perhaps, less time spent moaning, and more time doing something productive might help??

deffo a posh one this

we've all worked our asses off haven't we, depends what graft you call graft what what?
mines physical graft

i have no doubt yours is the pen pushing type

i think TA is lovely for pootles out with the middle classes of this world,take it all in with a glass or two of champagne half way round i say,.maybe TA should do that this year??